. John Pettie, , ; . s a cavalierlygeneral, who likes rich clothing and good-living ; onhis left a rough soldier. A stalwart prisoner, palebut not cowed, is brought before them for his tent and camp equipage of the backgroundare indicated without obtrusion. It is a dashingpicture, full of spirit in idea and in design; andthe artist seldom painted anything better, or morefull of character, than the heads of those com-manders sitting in judgment. This picture and several more of Petties finestworks—To the Death, «A Sally, The Flagof Truce, and Treason —passed later into the
. John Pettie, , ; . s a cavalierlygeneral, who likes rich clothing and good-living ; onhis left a rough soldier. A stalwart prisoner, palebut not cowed, is brought before them for his tent and camp equipage of the backgroundare indicated without obtrusion. It is a dashingpicture, full of spirit in idea and in design; andthe artist seldom painted anything better, or morefull of character, than the heads of those com-manders sitting in judgment. This picture and several more of Petties finestworks—To the Death, «A Sally, The Flagof Truce, and Treason —passed later into thecollections of Mr. J. Newton Mappin and SirFrederick Mappin, and are now in the Mappin ArtGallery at Sheffield. The public galleries ofGlasgow and Aberdeen are also rich in examplesof the artist at his best. It is a constant regret toadmirers of his work that the National Gallery ofScotland should have nothing at all to bear testi- A DRUM-HEAD COURT MARTIAL (Size of original, 28 x 42.) & Pi ^4 wi III i , ? j i^i ^ ,y^. LONDON AND THE ACADEMY 77 mony to his genius, and that his powers shouldbe so poorly represented in London. * TheVigil, in the Tate Gallery, much though it maybe admired for its fine sentiment, is not typicalof his fluent draughtsmanship and brilliantcolour. The Jacobites, in the Diploma Gallery,to which few people ever penetrate, is a much lesskno^vn but far nobler example of his talent. The expectations roused by the *Drum-headCourt-Martial were well fulfilled by the Arrestfor Witchcraft of the following year. The canvasexhibited at the Academy now has a home in theMelbourne Art Gallery, but a replica is at Wolver-hampton. The scene is in the market-place of amediseval town, where some ruffianly troopers areconducting to the ordeal of the pond a poor oldwoman, her hands tied beneath her cloak. Herexpression is fine in its dazed apathy and almostimbecile calmness. The whole picture is wellconceived. The witch is pursued by the townfolkswith clamour and thre
Size: 1268px × 1970px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondonaandcblack
